Traditional user interfaces typically provide users with interface elements and devices to copy content, for example, from one electronic document for pasting into another electronic document. One common technique for copying content requires a user to select the content (e.g., text) from a source electronic document generated by one application, such as a word processing application, perform a copy command, and then transition to a destination electronic document generated by either the same or a different application to paste the content. Generally, the source and destination documents are in separate windows. While functional, there are certain drawbacks to current techniques for copying content.
FIG. 1 depicts an interface 100 providing for a common window implementation scheme normally used to facilitate traditional copying techniques. In a typical copying operation, a destination window 102 presents a user with an electronic document (“edoc”) 103 having one or more fields in which to enter content, such as field (“1”) 104, field (“2”) 106, and field (“3”) 108. Next, consider that the user wishes to copy and paste content into fields 104, 106, and 108 that originates from source window 112, source window 122 and source window 132, respectively, which, in turn, include content 110, content 120 and content 130. As FIG. 1 shows, window 102 transitions to window 112 so that the user can select content (“Content 1B”) 114. Typically, the user implements a pointing cursor and a pointing device, such as a mouse, to select content 114. Then, the user normally performs a general “copy” command, such as activated by a menu or by one or more keyboard keys (e.g., CONTROL and C keys). Subsequently, window 112 transitions back to window 102 so that the user can perform a general “paste” command to copy the selection into field 104. If the user wishes to continue copying from different sources, the user continues transitioning back-and-forth between window 102 and window 122 as well as between window 102 and window 132 until content (“Content 2B”) 124 and content (“Content 3B”) 144 are pasted in field 106 and field 108, respectively. In some window presentation schemes, windows 102, 112, 122, and 132 are different windows, whereas in other schemes they are the same window.
Therefore, current window presentation schemes often require a user to experience numerous transitions between destination windows and source windows to populate information into fields 104, 106, and 108. Often, source windows 112, 122, and 132 obscure each other as well as destination windows 102. In some cases, a user might be required to expend time to open another window, as well as an application, to present content in a source window. Further, the user might be required to perform a command to identify the particular window that will be the recipient of the copied content. Accordingly, the current requirements to copy content can hinder the copying process.
It would be desirable to provide improved techniques, systems and devices that minimize one or more of the drawbacks associated with conventional techniques for copying content.
Like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings. Note that most of the reference numerals include one or two left-most digits that generally identify the figure that first introduces that reference number.